Author: Kalantarian Kevo

IRAN COMPLAINED OF ARMENIA’S CHOICE

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 19 July 2014, 12:31

Iran does not know what the Eurasian Union is and as soon as we
get thoroughly acquainted with this structure, we will be able to
tell whether anything favorable for Iran will be found there. The
Iranian ambassador to Armenia stated this in Yerevan, on July 18,
which means that Ambassador Reisi thinks Iran will not benefit from
Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Union.

If Mohammad Reisi says they will understand whether it is useful to
Iran or not after learning the details, it means that now Iran does
not see any use. In other words, the membership of Armenia to the
Eurasian Economic Union is not useful to Iran.

At the same time, Tehran might be hinting that Armenia does not
share with Iran details of membership to the Eurasian Economic Union
sufficiently. Here one can understand Iran’s dissatisfaction but
Tehran needs to understand Yerevan. Yerevan does not know enough
about membership to share with Iran.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan announces that Armenia will join the
Eurasian Economic Union end of October. When he is asked why in that
case Serzh Sargsyan asked for 15 days, Hovik Abrahamyan says it will
be effective from 2015. In other words, Hovik Abrahamyan does not
remember or maybe did not know that on May 29 Serzh Sargsyan asked
the three founding members to give time to overcome technical issues
relating to the membership of Armenia. However, he was given one month
then, and one month later it became known that Armenia would join no
sooner than in October. It is not known what will happen in October.

Hence, official Tehran need not expect much from Yerevan, they say
what they know, and if they say nothing, it means they know nothing.

And if to be more serious, Iran’s dissatisfaction with Armenia’s
choice was obvious last year when Mohammad Reisi announced that they
can sell gas to Armenia more cheaply than Russia. In other words,
Iran was wondering why Armenia would undergo gas blackmail and join
the Customs Union. Iran expressed its readiness to help Armenia cope
with blackmail.

Armenia was quiet, however. The reason was not the security-related
blackmail against Armenia. Iran is ready to help with this as well.

Tehran’s statement that it may act as a mediator in case the sides
wish is a commitment to guarantee security and stability.

In other words, if the sides wish, Iran can ensure continuity of the
process of settlement and pull up of the war. This is a transparent
hint that Iran will help Armenia cope with the Russian blackmail to
resume war in Artsakh.

However, Armenia is again quiet.

The problem for Iran is not only the customs. The membership of
Armenia to the Eurasian Economic union means the Armenian-Iranian
border becomes a Russian-Iranian border in its worse expression. If
in terms of the Caucasian policy Tehran has to deal with Armenia,
or maximum Russia, after that Tehran will have to cope with Belarus
and Kazakhstan. In other words, in the result of the decision of the
Armenian government both countries get a “free” chance to dictate a
price to Iran in terms of this country’s Caucasian policy.

If after September 3 Iran expressed its dissatisfaction indirectly,
now it is expressing it bluntly.

– See more at:

LERNIK ALEKSANYAN: AZERBAIJAN PUTS PRESSURE ON WEST

Saturday,
July
19

There has always been a threat of war, but Azerbaijan does not want
a resumption of war as it realizes the scale of damage, Armenian
parliamentary deputy Lernik Aleksanyan said during a press conference
today.

According to him, Azerbaijan creates tension on the border to put
pressure on the West.

“Azerbaijan shows the Western community that it is prepared for
war, but it does not start a war as in this case it will violate
international laws. So Azerbaijan just puts pressure. War in this
region does not stem from the West’s interests,” Aleksanyan said.

TODAY, 13:40

Aysor.am

IRAN AGAINST DEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Trend, Azerbaijan
July 18 2014

Iran is against the deployment of foreign peacekeepers in the region,
Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia, Mohammad Reis said at a press conference
on July 18, news.am reported.

Commenting on the possible deployment of peacekeepers in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, the Iranian diplomat said Iran is
against such initiative.

He said the settlement of the issue depends on Armenia, Azerbaijan
and the OSCE Minsk Group.

“I am sure the deployment of foreign forces would jeopardize security
in the region. Striking examples are Iraq and Afghanistan,” the
ambassador said.

At the same time the ambassador noted that Iran is against any violence
in the region, and supports a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and also believes that the military actions are unlikely
to resume.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four U.N. Security Council resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

BAKU COMMENTS ON CARL BILDT’S STATEMENTS REGARDING AZERBAIJAN

APA, Azerbaijan
July 17 2014

[ 17 July 2014 17:40 ]

Novruz Mammadov: “Such politicians don’t understand yet that their
irresponsible and narrow-minded thoughts have led the world to such
a situation”

Baku. Konul Kamilgizi – APA. Deputy Head of the Azerbaijani
Presidential Administration, Head of the Foreign Relations Department,
Novruz Mammadov commented on the opinions expressed by Swedish
Foreign Minister Carl Bildt regarding Azerbaijan at the Atlantic
Council meeting in Washington, APA reports.

“Unfortunately, there are many such politicians in the international
community. They think that everybody should accept and obey what they
say. However they don’t understand yet that their irresponsible and
narrow-minded thoughts have led the world to such a situation. Today,
the ongoing negative processes, conflicts, political instability and
tensions in different countries are the result of their thoughts and
activities. They are unable to understand the essence of processes
in the world. They just memorize some expressions and words, like
parrots, and think that they fulfill their duties by using them as
a means of pressure”, he said.

Mammadov said Bildt is one of such politicians. Like Fule, he also
considers Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Community to
be a reasonable step. However he doesn’t ask himself why he placed
this country on the 3rd place in the Eastern Partnership after the
European Neighborhood Policy”, he added.

There can be several reasons for Carl Bildt’s statement regarding
Azerbaijan. Firstly, he expressed these opinions in Washington.

Probably, it is not accidental. Even the Expressen newspaper which had
access to the Wikileaks materials reported about his close relationship
with some bodies in Washington and serving as an informant since 1973.

“There is a secret document revealing Bildt’s cooperation with the
American administration”, the paper reported.

Secondly, though Carl Bildt tried to act as a mentor at the meeting
in Baku a few years ago, he was silenced. He was explained that his
approach to the processes in Azerbaijan is primitive and far from
the truth.

Thirdly, Carl Bildt is self-satisfied and ambitious. He is trying to
hold a high position in the European Commission. It seems this step
will fail. Ambitious politicians are strongly influenced by such
things. He is feeling stressed now.

Finally, Carl Bildt should know that today, justice is the most
important value in world community. All other universal values are
meaningless without justice. Everything happens in the world in case of
the violation of the principle of justice. Some time ago, Czech Foreign
Minister Schwarzenberg (his name is also Karel) did not shy away from
expressing biased and unfounded position regarding Azerbaijan. But
very soon, Schwarzenberg lost his post because of such statements
and opinions. Carl Bildt will very likely face same situation”.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said at the Atlantic Council’s
meeting in Washington that he has serious doubts about the sincerity
of Azerbaijan’s participation in the Eastern Partnership program as
an authoritarian regime is dominating in the country.

SOUTH CAUCASUS: “WOMAN WITH A MONKEY” DOCUMENTS A REGION’S SEARCH FOR HOPE

EurasiaNet.org
July 18 2014

July 18, 2014 – 9:47am, by Yoav Horesh

When you hold Justyna Mielnikiewicz’s book in your hands, you know
you are about to enter onto a mysterious and complex journey with
the author.

A small window cut into the front cover shows a glimpse of an almost
colorless landscape. As you open the book, the little grayish snippet
turns out to be a small part of a large, powerful photograph of a
green and lush landscape, rich with water, trees and a distant village.

That contrast in viewpoint – and expectations – echoes throughout
the pages that follow.

“Woman with a Monkey” is a photography book by Mielnikiewicz,
a prize-winning, Polish-born freelance photojournalist (who works
for EurasiaNet.org among other publications), that chronicles her
personal experiences and encounters with the South Caucasus’ history,
politics and culture for over a decade.

This is not a history book, nor is this a comprehensive account
of the wars and political turmoil that the South Caucasus, one of
the world’s most complex regions, has seen. It is a book that tells
the little stories of mostly ordinary people struggling through the
changes and challenges of their daily existence.

These glimpses into people’s lives come in the form of sharply composed
black-and-white and color photographs accompanied by short pieces of
writing by Mielnikiewicz. The notes complement the book’s charged
photographs, though they do not attempt to explain or dictate the
content of the images.

The photographs stand on their own thanks to Mielnikiewicz’s artistic
sensitivity and ability to tell her story of living and photographing
in the South Caucasus for 12 years. She does not try to re-write
or illustrate history with her photographs. She already knows how
malleable and manipulated history and the public narrative could be.

Rather, she lets her own stories and those of her subjects do the
talking.

A photograph of a young soldier opens the section devoted to Nagorno
Karabakh, the isolated, mountainous region over which Azerbaijan has
been fighting for more than 20 years with ethnic Armenian separatists
and neighboring Armenia. He is there by himself, in the vast, empty
and flat landscape near the frontline with Azerbaijani forces. He
seems puzzled, a bit tense, looking suspiciously to the right of
the camera and closely clasping his Russian-made gun. He embodies
Mielnikiewicz’s observation that “Never in my life could I have
imagined how scary silence could be in a war zone.”

The majority of the photographs in the book concern people and
street scenes. Usually, the photographs are dark in their mood and
occasionally a bit blurry. Hardly ever does the reader witness a
smiling face or a joyful situation, yet these visual qualities and
editing decisions are successful and enhance the feelings of anxiety,
uncertainty and the search for hope.

Sometimes, Mielnikiewicz will photograph a wall, a mural or a backdrop,
but it is clear that what attracts her in these scenes were what the
objects say about their makers or users’ intentions and states of mind.

Her pictures also showcase structures that no longer exist – a
testimony to the dreamlike quality of this visual journey.

Tbilisi’s Andropov’s Ears (p.18), a cosmic, concrete building built
under Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, was eventually demolished in 2005
as part of Georgia’s reinvention of itself. Here, it reappears as a
surreal background for grimy festival workers unloading a cart with
a grisly pig’s head stuck to one side.

But the book is not only concerned with subjective narratives
and personal stories. A separate booklet of 16 pages lays out the
historical timelines of the region’s three major countries: Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Three short stories done by the photographer’s American partner,
freelance journalist Paul Rimple – an accomplished writer who also
works for EurasiaNet.org – about his travel experiences with marshrutka
passengers, railway conductors and de-facto border guards complement
the photographs on several levels of content and design, and enhance
the sense of movement.

Rimple’s three stories are printed on thin pieces of paper that fold
out of the book to make the viewer read them like a scroll. They seem
to be glued almost carelessly at an angle into the book as if they
were ripped straight out of a typewriter and pasted in hastily.

The decision to use this presentation to oppose the clean, rectangular
photographs again enhances the book’s narrative tension and the
relationship between the personal and the public, the camera and the
words, the historical narrative and the individual experience.

Overall, Justyna Mielnikiewicz’s book is a carefully designed object
that successfully weaves together historical facts, personal notes,
compelling photographs and slices of life in the South Caucasus.

Editor’s note: Yoav Horesh is a photographer and educator who has
photographed and taught photography in the United States, Europe and
Asia. Currently, he is based in Tel Aviv.

LEADER EDITORIAL: CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE A PLACE IN COMMUNITY

Burbank Leader, CA
July 18 2014

July 18, 2014 | 6:50 p.m.

After tentatively approving the Giligia Charter Academy last month,
the Burbank Unified School Board rejected its petition.

On its face, the reasoning is clearly defensible: The school has
yet to get a building, the presented budget seems a bit hinky, and
its unclear if Giligia could hire enough teachers and get adequate
supplies to open its doors this fall. But scratch the surface, and
it’s clear there’s more going on here.

When the board gave its conditional blessing on June, members couched
the move as one they had to make. Charters are a matter of state
law, and if you jump through the hoops, school boards have little
discretion. Then came a forum earlier this month that drew hundreds
of local parents, most of them concerned that approving a charter
would set a bad precedent, that such schools would leech away money
from the district.

Others questioned the need for the Armenian-focused curriculum
Giligia would offer, noting it might negatively impact the district’s
diversity. Additionally, school board members said the issues and
concerns facing recent immigrants — a stated goal of the would-be
charter — would be better addressed within the district.

Lost in all this discussion, though, is the fact that Burbank already
has a charter school, Options for Youth, which serves kids who don’t
fit in with regular schools for whatever reason. It would be a stretch
to claim Options for Youth has diluted Burbank Unified’s educational
prowess, and incorrect to claim district schools can offer everything
Options can.

To this end, we ask parents to not reflexively reject charter schools,
but to weigh the pros and cons dispassionately. It’s worth a public
discussion on how, exactly, Burbank Unified can better serve recent
immigrants. If it’s not practical or possible, then Giligia has a
clear, and valid, reason for being, and it should open as soon as it
gets its issues worked out.

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ARMENIAN SERVICEMAN HONORED FOR REPELLING ENEMY

21:27 * 18.07.14

Armenia’s minister of defense has honored an army private for the
bravery shown during military operations to repel the Azerbaijani
subversive group that attempted to penetrate into Armenian-controlled
areas on July 10.

Seyran Ohanyan has bestowed the Garegin Nzhdehmedal upon Ruzvelt
Torosyan, praising his ability to promptly react to the emergency
and avert the enemy attack.

Defense Ministry sources have told the state news agency Armenpress
that the serviceman, who was wounded and hospitalized in the wake
of the incident, now needs a treatment abroad as he has problems
with eyesight.

Thanking Torosyan and his family, Ohanyan promised the Ministry’s
assistance in organizing the serviceman’s treatment.

ARMENIA HAS MUCH TO TELL THE WORLD: BRITISH WRITER

22:49 18.07.2014

Sona Hakobyan
Public Radio of Armenia

British writer and journalist Graham Hancock, who studies ancient
civilizations, knew nothing about Armenia a year ago. Today he is
preparing to allocate a lot of place to Armenia in his new book.

On his first visit to Armenia, the journalist discovers new things
every day, but his greatest impression was the story of the tragic
past of the Armenian people.

Graham Hancock says to be impressed by the warmth and hospitality
of Armenians “The world seems to have forgotten about Armenia,
while Armenia has a lot to tell the world. That’s why I’m here. I
want to show the world all they did not know about Armenia up until
now. There is a huge history of the past of the mankind hidden in
Armenia,” the British writer told reporters in Yerevan today.

Graham Hancock’s activity of the past twenty years has been targeted
at unscovering all that people have lost and forgotten in the course
of centuries. He believes that the discoveries in Armenia will be of
landmark importance for restoring the memory of humankind. “Armenia
has much to teach the world about our forgotten past and the human
spirit,” he said.

The British journalist visited a number of historical-cultural sites
in Armenia within a couple of days. He says the Dvin Pyramid was
the most impressive. “I have seen many pyramids during my studies
worldwide, but I never met pyramids like this. We don’t know how
old that pyramid is and who it was built by, but we must discover,
as it’s a real wonder,” he said.

Over the past twenty years Graham Hancock has travelled to many
countries of the world and studies a number of ancient civilizations.

He confesses that before his visit to Armenia he felt something was
missing in his research. Now the gap has been filled.

TURAN: RAUF MIRKADIROV ACCUSED OF TRANSFERRING DATA TO ARMENIA WHICH CAN EASILY BE FOUND IN WIKIPEDIA

19:34 18/07/2014 >> REGION

“Suppose Rauf Mirkadyrov spied for the Armenians. Then where is the
money he has earned? Where did he put them, what the funds, which
he according to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of National
Security had received from the Armenians, have been materialized in?”

wonders the Azerbaijani news agency “Turan.”

Yesterday MNS and General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan issued
a joint statement against Rauf Mirkadirov, the journalist of the
newspaper “Zerkalo”. The statement read that there were “reasonable
suspicions about Rauf Mirkadirov’s conscious cooperation with the
secret police of Armenia.”

The article notes that after the deportation of the journalist his
family remained without livelihood. If not for the support of his
colleagues from the international organizations, the family would
still be without a piece of bread. In the Azerbaijani MNS they are
firmly convinced that the cooperation had only material basis.

“There are a lot of questions in the joint statement of the two law
enforcement agencies to which Rauf’s lawyers have already responded,
but there are also a couple of questions to the comrades in shoulder
straps. So, they talk about a “closed” meeting of Rauf Mirkadirov with
David Shahnazaryan, as an evidence of meeting with the resident agent.

But it seems that even the security officers do not believe in it.

They know perfectly well that Shahnazaryan was the close fellow fighter
of President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, he advocated a phased settlement
of the conflict (by releasing the regions around Karabakh), he is
rapprochement and cooperation supporter with Azerbaijan and Turkey,
he is for the rapprochement with the West and not Russia,” reads
the article.

Further, the agency wonders, where could Mirkadirov find from the
schemes and photos of military units and strategic infrastructure?

“Did he secretly come from Turkey and traveled across the country,
secretly took pictures and shipped back to Armenia? Okay, let’s believe
in it. But where was the counterintelligence for so many years. How
could they miss the harmful activities lasting for years, why didn’t
they stop him?” Turan writes, noting that those who are interested
in any country may to delve in Wikipedia to find information they need.

“The MNS and Prosecutor’s Office’s statement also notes about
Mirkadirov’s correspondence with Laura Baghdasaryan and David
Shahnazaryan. If you talk about 2008, then note that the correspondence
of the journalist was under control of more than 5 years! And so,
my dears, you were asleep for so many years, quietly watching the
work of the spy network?” the author asks.

In its turn, the Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus in an
article published by “Turan” agency writes that the joint statement
of the special services is not only a Stalinist style, but has also
resemblance to McCarthyism, Maoism, and also indicates a low level
of professionalism.

“Dear investigators, in which century do you live? Have learnt
anything, besides how to invent and falsify charges against the best
people in the country? After all, even falsifications besides being
cynically should be done (here you have succeeded) professionally
and truthfully,” says Yunus.

She also notes that Mirkadirov was accused of transferring information
to the Armenian side which is openly available in internet.

“If you do not know, then I will explain, that according to this
agreement, the OSCE countries (Azerbaijan, if you did not know, is
OSCE member country) are obliged to regularly exchange information
with other OSCE countries on their armed forces, armaments, including
acquisitions as well as military spending, daily activities of troops,
military exercises, the development plans of the armed forces, etc.”

human rights activist says.

According to her, there can be no evidence against Rauf Mirkadirov
because he has never done anything against the interests of Azerbaijan.

“And such investigation experts, as you have always existed. They were
shooting people in the NKVD under Yezhov and Beria leadership, they
were rotting in U.S. prisons during the McCarthy during 1940-1950s of
the last century. Today, the name of President Ilham Aliyev is on this
blacklist of dictators. And the case of Rauf Mirkadirov, just like the
case of late Novruzali Mamedov (former editor of “Tolyshi sado”, who
was accused of spying and died in prison in Azerbaijan in 2009 – Ed.),
will become the symbol of lawlessness in the country,” concludes Yunus.

Rauf Mirkadirov, columnist of Azerbaijani newspaper “Zerkalo”, was
arrested on April 18 in Ankara on charges of expiration of documents.

On April 19 Mirkadirov was deported to Azerbaijan, where he
immediately was arrested and put in custody by the MNS on suspicion
of treason. On April 21 the court in Baku sanctioned his arrest for
three months. Mirkadirov is accused of the cooperation with special
services of Armenia; specifically he is accused of making the transfers
of the state secret information, including those about the dislocation
of Azerbaijani Armed forces to Armenia during 2008-2009.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN: LEVON HAYRAPETYAN’S ARREST HAS EITHER AZERBAIJANI OR ARMENIAN TRACE

by Nana Martirosyan

Friday, July 18, 15:46

Either Baku or Yerevan are involved in the arrest of Russian-Armenian
businessman and benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan, Heritage party deputy
chairman Armen Martirosyan said.

Azerbaijan can be interested in the arrest of Hayrapetyan, since the
latter is known for his actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. As to official
Yerevan, the businessman has recently criticized the ruling regime and
spoke about necessary changes that could provoke discontent of the
Armenian authorities, Armen Martirosyan said. He ruled out Russia’s
involvement, claiming that Russia arrests businessman only if they have
links with the opposition. “Taking into account yesterday’s remark
by PM Hovik Abrahamyan, who said that arrested for violation of law,
the Armenian authorities believe he is guilty. But, his guilt has
not been proved yet,” Martirosyan added.

To recall, on 17 July the Russian special services have detained one
of the richest Armenian businessmen in the world Levon Hayrapetyan
on suspicion of being privy to the notorious “Kingisep” criminal group.

According to Rosbalt, Hayrapetyan was detained on Tuesday upon arriving
in Moscow from his home in Monaco.

Shortly the investigators are planning to petition the Basmanny Court
to arrest the businessman. They are currently investigating the case
of Sergey-Finagin’s “Kingisepp” group, which together with Alexander
Matusov’s “Schelkovo” gang, is believed to have done a number of
contract killings first for businessman Georgy Safiyev (killed in
the United States) and then for former Senator Igor Izmestyev (who
is now in jail for life). And it was Izmestyev who said that Levon
Hayrapetyan was privy to some of the killings, particularly, those
related to the Bashneft oil company.